Cancer support thread # 75 - come on in!

[Bloodybridget]

This is the new thread for anyone at any stage of cancer, from noticing a possibly warning sign, through tests and scans, diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Come on in for advice, sympathy and support.
The last thread is here.

If you've been on a previous thread, please come and say hello and introduce yourself!

If you are a relative or friend of someone with cancer and looking for support, there are other threads on this topic - this one is for cancer patients ourselves.

That’s wonderful @KentishMama. So pleased for you.

That's great to hear @KentishMama!
My PET scan was clear too. Such a relief at this stage. Also digesting treatment plan. Not starting chemo quite as quickly as I'd hoped as have to have tests on heart health first but hopefully start EC on 2 weekly cycles for 4 cycles from early Sept, then docetaxel on 3 weekly cycles for another 4 cycles. Then surgery, then radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Still waiting to hear whether there are more cancerous areas elsewhere locally in my breast but this will only affect surgical options i think.
Hope everyone is doing ok. I'm feeling positive and keen to crack on now but, really, what a shitshow cancer is.

@Lubballoo I'll join you on two-weekly EC cycles in late September sometime. You can prepare me for that shit show as you're going first! I think I'm getting Paclitaxel after the EC though. Then radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Yuck yuck yuck yuck!

I forgot to say GREAT NEWS ABOUT THE PET SCAN!!!

Oh, I'm so pleased to hear it, @Lubballoo and @KentishMama! Good news .

Great news about clear scans @KentishMama & @Lubballoo Wishing you all the best for tomorrow @Bloodybridget

I had good day today. Stormy rainy day here. Good food and tv. Never left the house and had a fabulous sleep after dinner! 💤

@Starmer I'm so glad that appt has been scheduled again without me having to chase it. So sorry to hear you've toothache. Nothing as painful!hope you get sorted soon. Have you any clove oil?

Thinking of you @BitOfFun. Sincerely hope tomorrow brings you good news.

Thinking of you here too @BitOfFun. I agree, a phone call sounds positive for sure, but the second guessing is so hard! I'm glad the results are today at least. Wishing only good things for you x

@BitOfFun Didn't realise you were getting results too. Fingers crossed for good news. Xx

I'm back home after PET scan. Very pleased that @KentishMama and @Lubballoo have had clear scans, and crossing everything for @BitOfFun. Also sending greetings and good wishes to @InvisibleToEveryone, and much sympathy re toothache to @Starmer, and pleased to hear you finally have an appointment, @gillmoregirl.

Apologies to anyone whose news I have ignored.

Tip to anyone having a PET scan for the first time: if you wear earrings (or have any other metal piercings) take them out before you go, I can't get my earrings out myself, usually rely on DP, so they had to make a note on my file, felt a right twit. And if you are a chilly type, dress warmly as you will be lying completely still for about 25 minutes in a very cold room!

@Bloodybridget thank you and that's some good advice re PET scan. Another tip from me is not to assure everyone you're not wearing any metal when in fact you've forgotten about the metal clasp on the bra you're still wearing - they had to slide me back out of the machine to remove it (luckily it was spotted immediately!).
Also for the PET and MRI scan I was asked so many times whether I had a pacemaker that I almost started to doubt myself (I definitely don't!)

@Lubballoo

In case this is useful to anyone else with breast cancer and small children, I've been given a copy of this book which you can also download by the looks of it:
breastcancernow.org/information-support/publication/mummys-lump-bcc164
My dc are 8 and 10 and this is aimed at younger ones I think, but actually my ten year old especially seems to find it helpful. She's asked me to read it twice now at bedtimes and I think in some ways it's comforting to go back to younger times.

Hello, crashing in here.

I have an easy diagnosis compared to others, skin cancer on the outside of my body not inside.

I am struggling because of past medical trauma due to complex existing diagnosis.

Third time lucky, I managed the biopsy this week. No idea when I get the results, though looking at it it's obvious to everyone it's cancer. The Dr suggested I will be most likely having radiotherapy. I guess a treatment plan will be decided at the next appointment.

I'm taking control by... booking myself in for eyebrow microblading. Someone mentioned it in passing and it suddenly sounds very, very important to have eyebrows when chemo kills all my hair. Does that make me shallow, or has anyone else done this?

@Lubballoo What a fantastic book - good for my five-year old! I think I'll sit him down and talk it through a few days before chemo starts. He knows I'll have more doctors appointments and I'll need more medicine, but this looks like a good way to explain what's happening.

I'm taking control by... booking myself in for eyebrow microblading. Someone mentioned it in passing and it suddenly sounds very, very important to have eyebrows when chemo kills all my hair. Does that make me shallow, or has anyone else done this?

@Lubballoo What a fantastic book - good for my five-year old! I think I'll sit him down and talk it through a few days before chemo starts. He knows I'll have more doctors appointments and I'll need more medicine, but this looks like a good way to explain what's happening.

Great news for my birthday!
I went to see my oncologist and to our mutual satisfaction he couldn’t find any sign of my breast lump or the lymph node. GONE! After two doses of FEC.
I am now beginning to believe it might all be okay after all.
I’m going to have a small celebration

GO LARGE, TopOfTheCliff- congrats! .

As for my liver scan, there's a couple of small mets but may be treatable with radio. So...dunno really. Could be fine? Need to speak to onco specialist. One of those appointments which doesn't really tell you much.

Great news @TopOfTheCliff

And @BitOfFun - without underestimating how hard it is to deal with inconclusive, I’m glad there’s hope

(Very tempted time channel my best Kenneth Williams Frying Tonight! but do ignore me if that hits the wrong note)

I’ve been feeling really tired most of this week. Not full on fatigue, but I’ve has a couple of afternoon naps. Right now I’m in the garden and despairing at my lack of green fingers. Two shrubs which I thought were tough as old boots, plus one cutting a friend gave me, are all succumbing to something that is making them turn brown and die

@BitOfFun I'm sorry it wasn't better news, and that it will mean more treatment. Do you have to talk to the oncologist yourself, or will someone else do that?
@TopOfTheCliff brilliant, congratulations, happy birthday and I hope you are well and truly sozzled by now.
@ivampire it is sad when plants fail to thrive. Have you got some that are doing well? I'm tired a lot of the time too.

Not great news from me - had my scheduled phone appointment with my oncologist this afternoon, actually it was another doctor on her team, they'd already had a look at the PET scan images and think the lung nodule is malignant. Consultant has done an urgent referral to one of the thoracic surgeons and they're expecting surgery to happen within the next six weeks. She said they'll be able to tell when they've removed it, whether it's metastasised from my ovarian tumour (unlikely but not unknown).

@SilkCashmere - so sorry you find yourself here. I had malignant melanoma 18 months ago which was treated by surgery. I had 3 doses of adjuvant immunotherapy but it gave me liver issues so was stopped. Am now being carefully monitored and have had 2 more ops to remove pre-cancerous skin. Not much fun but I’m still here and still officially cancer-free for now!

@Bloodybridget and @BitOfFun - so sorry you have ongoing uncertainty about the way forward

Toofaroutallmylife Sounds like you and many others have had a tough time.

I hope you don't mind me posting something off topic but for those of you who remember me from my journey last year I wanted to share the news that I became a grandmother for the first time today, my wonderful DS1 and his wife (they met at school 13 years ago when we had just arrived in Australia and they were both 14) had a baby girl this afternoon. This time last year I had finished chemo, had just had a double mx and was facing radiotherapy after a diagnosis of Stage 3 Inflammatory BC, now I am officially cancer free and some days dare to think of a cancer free future. You are all still very much in my thoughts and I am keeping everything crossed for BitOfFun and Bloodybridget and follow everyone's journeys even when I don't post. Just hoping for a long time to spend with my new granddaughter.

Oh - sorry to hear this, @Bloodybridget. Do you know whether it will be keyhole or not? I'm v impressed with @LucyWarlowsRightHand experience. I think she had the same surgery as me, but mine had to be open because of previous and I was 8 nights in hospital.

Oh @Bloodybridget, what rubbish news for you. Really sorry to hear that, and hope appointments and dates come through soon for you.

And sorry your news wasn't better too @BitOfFun. And the uncertainty of exactly what they'll do to zap it all.

I had to look up microblading @KentishMama! But sounds like a good thing to me - take back some control from cancer and chemo and the crap it sends our way.

And good news @Lubballoo and @TopOfTheCliff (and happy birthday too)!